DATE:31/07/08
Making its Oshkosh debut is Ravin Aircraft with its Ravin 500 kitplane.
“It looks a lot like the Comanche 260. When we land somewhere people
think it’s a Comanche and then we get out of the door on the left,”
says vice president Parker Woodward.
It is a composite plane and the kit comes with around 150 molded
parts, which can be built in 500 hours. But Woodward reckons 1,000
hours is probably more realistic for the average person.
“Oshkosh is the cutting edge of aviation and if you can cut it here, you can cut it in aviation,” says Woodward.
The kit sells for $81,500 but, at the show, potential builders can
get one for $75,000. Woodward estimates a final build price will
probably be in the region of $200,000 - $300,000 depending on the
builder’s choice of kit.
The Ravin 500 uses a Lycoming IO-540 with 260hp and a constant speed
propeller. It offers a maximum cruise speed of 190kt. It has an empty
weight of 1,855lbs and a maximum take-off weight of 3,575lbs, giving a
1,720lb useful load. It is capable of a 2,000nm range with its 160gal
wet wing.
Woodward says he has had a lot of interest so far. “I think we will
do well. We have a classic design with classic lines and I believe the
build time is a real plus,” he says.
